Toggle-switch locking device



y 1, 1955 M. A. DEL RE, SR 2,744,171

TOGGLE-SWITCH LOCKING DEVICE Filed May 25, 1955 INVENTOR; MICHAEL A DEL RE,SR.

United States PatentO TOGGLE-SWITCH LOCKING DEVICE Michael A. Del Re, Sr., Norridge, Ill.

Application May 25, 1955, Serial No. 511,042

7 Claims. (Cl. 20042) This invenu'on relates to a locking device for toggle switches of the type where the toggle is oppositely actuated by an arm extending outwardly from a covering plate and, in either on or off positions, is disposed at an angle to the covering plate.

On occasions, work on a building circuit, for repair, replacement, or extension, very conveniently can be done if the circuit can be temporarily neutralized at some point between where the work is to be done and the source of current. Often this neutralizing of the circuit is effected by merely setting a near-by switch at off position. However, there must be no likelihood of some inadvertent reversing of the switch to on position unbeknown to the one that may be working, on what one assumes to be an open circuit, beyond that particular switch.

On some occasions, one may desire to have a switch set at on position against any reverse shifting for a predetermined period of time.

The main objects of this invention, therefore, are to provide an improved locking device for use with toggle switch arms for securing the arm in a preferred shifted position; to provide an improved toggle-switch locking device of this kind which may be set over the toggleswitch arm and so locked thereto as to prevent any accidental or unintentional reversal of the switch; to provide an improved form of pawl-ratchet-cam-clamping means for locking the switch arm in a preferred position; to provide improved means for manually releasing the clamping means; and to provide an improved toggleswitch locking device of this kind of such simple construction as to permit its economical manufacture from very inexpensive material such as, for example, molded plastic.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a conventional wallmounted toggle switch, of the exposed arm-actuating type, whereon has been placed a locking device embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front-to-rear, sectional elevation of the improved locking device.

Fig. 3 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3-3; the line 2-2 on this figure indicating the plane whereon the view of Fig. 2 is taken; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the improved locking device, as taken on the plane of the line 44 of Fig. 2.

The essential concept of this invention involves a spring-biased, manually shiftable ratchet cam opposedly positioned to a mounting ledge to clamp a switch arm against the ledge subject to manual release by a springbiased locking pawl.

A toggle-switch-arm locking device, embodying this concept, comprises a mounting 5 formed with a ledge 6 opposedly adjacent to which is journaled a cam 7 positioned to wedge a toggle switch arm 8 against the ledge 6 and held in such position by a pawl and ratchet means 9 until released by a retraction pin 10.

Patented May 1, 1956 ice The mounting 5 here is shown in the form of a twopiece housing recessed to provide a cavity above the ledge 6 and wherein is arranged the cam 7, the pawl and ratchet means 9, and the retraction pin 10. These housing parts, as well as some of the others, may be made of very inexpensive material, such as molded plastic.

The housing parts are held together by screws 11.

The rear side or face 12, of the mounting 5, is flat so as to rest firmly against the cover plate 13 for a conventional Wall switch 14. .In this rear side 12 is formed an opening 15 leading to the interior of the housing for receiving the toggle switch arm 8 of the switch 14 to permit it to rest on the ledge 6. The front of the mounting 5 has an arcuate extension 16 slotted to expose the outer end of a cam-shifting pin 17.

The cam 7 is journaled on a transversely disposed shaft 18 within the housing with the eccentric portion 19 of the periphery opposedly spaced from the ledge 6 so as to wedge the switch arm 8 against the ledge 6 when the cam 7 is shifted against the action of a spring 20. This eccentric periphery 19 is serrated or otherwise roughened to insure a firm contact with the arm 8 when the earn 7 is shifted against the action of the spring 20.

The spring 20, best shown in Fig. 3, is coiled around the shaft 18 with the ends of the spring respectively secured to the mounting 5 and the cam 7.

The ratchet and pawl means 9 comprises ratchet teeth 21, formed on the concentric periphery of the cam 7 diametrically opposite the eccentric part 19, and a springbiased pawl 22.

The pawl 22 here is shown in the form of a cylindrical element journaled at one side of the cam 7 on a parallel axis. The element is formed with a semi-circular recess 23 to register with the cam 7 and present a shoulder 24 to seat in the ratchet teeth 21.

The pawl 22 is biased by a spring 25 to normally seat the shoulder 24 in the teeth 21. The spring 25 is coiled around one end of the element 22 with the ends of the spring respectively seated in the mounting 5 and. the pawl 22. (See Fig. 3).

The cam-operating pin 17 has one end anchored in the cam 7 with its slightly enlarged outer end extending through a slot 26 in the arcuate extension 16 on the mounting 5. Preferably, the end of the pin 17 is flush with the outer face of the extension 16 so as to prevent inadvertent contact therewith.

The pawl-release pin 10 is arranged in the top of the mounting 5. This pin 10 extends through a plate 28 to contact an arm 29 on the pawl 22. A spring 30, interposed between the head 31 of the pin 27 and the plate 28, normally holds the pin 10 retracted.

The arm 29 here is shown as a piece of fiat spring, one end of which is bonded to the periphery of the pawl 22 at a point centrally opposite the recess 23. Thus the arm 2h extends tangentially outward of the pawl 22.

A toggle-switch locking-device, constructed in accord ance with this invention, is used in the following manner:

A switch arm 8 is shifted to the desired position-- either on or o This locking device is then placed over the switch arm 8, as indicated in Fig. 1. The flat side 12 of the mounting 5 abuts the switch-covering plate 13 and the switch arm 8 rests against the ledge 6.

The pin 17 is shifted upwardly to move the eccentric periphery 19 of the cam 7 into gripping contact with the upper face of the arm 8 so as to wedge the arm against the ledge 6, as the shoulder 24 on the pawl 22 seats in the appropriate tooth 21 of the ratchet means 9.

With the parts so positioned, it is impossible to remove the device from the switch arm 8, except by depressing the release pin 10. When the pin 10, bearing-against the pawl arm 29, is depressed, the pawl 22 is rotated against the action of the spring 25 until the pawl shoulder 2 is retracted from engagement with the ratchet teeth 21. Thereupon, the spring 29 retracts the cam 7 to release its engagement with the switch arm 8. Upon release of the pin it? the parts resume their normal positions as shown in Fig. 2. The locking device then may be removed from the switch arm 8 and is ready for repeated use.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it is understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the following claims:

I claim:

1. A switch-arm locking-device comprising, a mounting providing a clamping ledge, a spring-biased cam journaled on the mounting with its eccentric periphery oppositely spaced from the ledge, pawl and ratchet means for holding the cam in its shifted position, means for shifting the cam to wedge the switch arm against the ledge, and other means for disengaging the pawl and ratchet means to permit the retraction of the earn.

2. A switch-arm locking-device comprising, a mounting providing a clamping ledge, a spring-retracted cam journaled on the mounting with its eccentric periphery opposedly spaced from the ledge, ratchet teeth formed on the opposite periphery of the cam, a spring-biased pawl engaging the ratchet teeth to retain the cam in its switcharm wedging position, and means for disengaging the pawl to permit the retraction of the cam.

3. A switch-arm locking-device comprising, a housing formed with a fiat side for contact with the covering plate of a toggle switch, the housing having an opening extending in from the flat side to form an inwardly extending clamping ledge, a spring-biased eccentric cam journaled in the housing with the eccentric periphery of the cam opposedly spaced from the ledge, means for shifting the cam to wedge a switch arm against the housing ledge, spring-biased pawl and ratchet means for holding the cam in its arm-wedging position, and other means for disengaging the pawl and ratchet means to permit the retraction of the cam to release the arm.

4. A switch-arm locking-device comprising, a housing formed with a flat side for contact with the covering plate of a toggle switch, the housing having an opening extending in from the fiat side to form an inwardly and downwardly extending clamping ledge, a spring-biased eccentric cam journaled in the housing with the eccentric periphery of the cam opposedly spaced from the ledge, means for shifting the cam to wedge a switch arm against the housing ledge, spring-biased pawl and ratchet means for holding the cam in its arm-wedging position, and other means for disengaging the pawl and ratchet means .4 to permit the retraction of the cam to release the arm.

5. A switch-arm locking-device comprising, a housing formed with a fiat side for contact with the covering plate of a toggle switch, the housing having an opening extending in from the fiat side to form an inwardly extending clamping ledge, 21 spring-biased eccentric cam journaled in the housing with the eccentric periphery of the cam opposedly spaced from the ledge, ratchet teeth formed on the opposite periphery of the cam, a springbiased pawl engaging the ratchet teeth to retain the cam in its switch-arm wedging position, an arm secured to the cam and protruding through the housing front whereby the cam may be manually shifted to wedge the switch arm against the housing ledge, and a spring-retracted manually depressible pin for disengaging the pawl to permit the retraction of the cam.

6. A switch-arm locking-device comprising, a housing formed with a flat side for contact with the covering plate of. a toggle switch, the housing having an opening extending in from the flat side to form an inwardly-extending clamping ledge, a spring-biased eccentric cam journaled in the-housing with the eccentric periphery of the cam opposedly spaced vfrom the ledge, ratchet teeth formed on the opposite periphery of the cam, a cylindrical element journaled transversely of the housing on an axis adjacently parallel to the earn, the element being recessed to register with the cam and present a shoulder for engagement with the ratchet teeth, a spring normally urging the element to seat the shoulder in engagement with the ratchet teeth, and means for reversing the rotaticn of the element to disengage the shoulder from the ratchet teeth to release the cam.

7. A switch-arm locking-device comprising, a housing formed with a flat side for contact with the covering plate of a toggle switch, the housing having an opening extending in from the fiat side to form an inwardly-extending clamping ledge, a spring-biased eccentric cam journaled in the housing with the eccentric periphery of the cam opposedly spaced from the ledge, ratchet teeth formed on the opposite periphery of the cam, a cylindrical element journaled transversely of the housing on an axis adjacently parallel to the cam, the element being recessed to register with the cam and present a shoulder for engagement with the ratchet teeth, a spring normally urging the element to seat the shoulder in engagement with the ratchet teeth, an outwardly extending arm on the element, and a spring-retracted manually depressible pin positioned on the housing to engage the element arm to retract the element shoulder from the ratchet teeth to release the cam. 1

No references cited. 

